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Whitie is alive!

Carol Roshto-SmithBreckenridge

RE: Breck family fearing for the unknown (SDN Sept. 6)Whitie is alive! He does have a harrowing story about his escape from the water and looters, but he made it.Many of my extended family is still homeless, but now at least we know that Whitie is OK. I agree with my family members who expressed it best: “We found Whitie; isn’t everything else just stuff?” It was the Visa company that finally tracked him down. Although I had tried FEMA, The Red Cross, survivor’s line and many website venues, I could not find him. He had tried many times to reach someone, but FEMA had cut the last emergency phone lines. He did eventually make it to a hotel, but even the satellite phone at the hotel did not work.I want to take a second to thank this great community that I have been a part of for two years. It was the support of my friends as well as strangers within this community which has sustained our family during this difficult time. The outpouring of support has been incredible. Some called and offered free condos for my family as well as clothing and furniture. People have lost everything, so everything is greatly appreciated.Although my family is accounted for, I realize I still do not feel safe here. How can we trust this government to protect us from an unforeseeable act of terrorism when they have failed our fellow Americans with a predicted disaster like Katrina? Perhaps the current administration can lie to the general public, but I was in New Orleans when Bush pulled our levee funding. The money went to Iraq. President Clinton had allocated $100 million over several years, but the project was defunded in 2002. One of my friends worked for a year for free on the levees waiting for the funding to continue. It was not continued by the current administration.Bush can lie and say it was not “Brownie’s” fault. They can try to blame this mess on our Democratic mayor or our Democratic governor.However, I was in New Orleans on Saturday as the storm began to pass and our governor signed the federal disaster declaration. The federal government is supposed to take over things then. No one showed up. There were no federal troops on the ground for days. People, including several of my family members were left to fend for themselves. People waited days and days for water while Fema sent Wal-mart trucks filled with water away! As our Mayor Nagin said: “There is going to be plenty of blame to go around.”But where does the buck stop? We are not safe under the current administration because everyone is so busy spinning the news that no one is willing to accept any responsibility.I am so happy about my brother and very thankful for the wonderful community support. However, there is plenty of hurricane season left. If now is not the time to take this administration to task, then when is? My brother survived the natural part of the disaster. He survived the storm and flooding. We are excited and elated to find out that he actually survived the unnatural part as well. He has survived despite FEMA and this administration’s pitiful management. Next time George Bush nominates someone to a post as important as FEMA, I hope it is not another inept college buddy. I think everyone in this country should know that Michael Brown’s former job was with the the Arabian Horse society until he was asked for his resignation.To not tell my family’s story would be a disservice to Americans who are expecting to be protected by this administration. I could go on endlessly about the malfeasance, but I am sure you have all seen the news. When a society does not defend the weakest of our own – the poor, old and sick – we are finished. Let’s not let them spin this one.


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